car shuttin off for a weird reason - Honda Prelude Forum

Si_g · 07-19-2004, 05:31 PM

ok, so yesterday i went to my friends house, and i got to my friends drive way, but i had to back out right quick, so i throw it in reverse ( stick shift ) and the car shuts off. i tried to start it 2wice in a row right after, and it cranked but didnt pick up. i wait 5 mins, and it starts fine. This morning i get to school, i m bout to back in into my my spot, throw it in reverse, and it shuts of again. Same thing, tried right after, it didnt pick up. waited 5 mins, picked up fine. This afternoon, i go back to school, bout to back in, same thing, right when i slap it in reverse, it shuts off again !!! So i just waited 5 mins and it started fine, so i backed it in, and left it running, then i started playin with the gears while parked. Right when i got into reverse, i looked at the tach, and the needle was at bout 900, and it jumped to 1500, and came right back down, but the idle didnt change. So i take it out of reverse and put it right back, and then the car shuts off. So i wait and try again and the same things happends, either it goes through fine, and the needle just flies up real quick without changin the idle and comes back, or it just plain fine, or the car just shuts off. It only does it when i go to reverse, the rest is fine. The car drives perfect and nothin else happense besides this weird thing.

I just wanted to put it out there to see if any of u have heard of anything like that. Post if you can think of anything

thx.

g

4thGenReady2Go · 07-20-2004, 12:27 AM

dude, that sounds electrical, or were you thinking the same thing 'cause the tach is moving without the engine? Only thing that doesn't make sense is why you can't start it up right after it stalls... damn lol, you know how to pick 'em!

ancient · 07-20-2004, 12:43 AM

Junk it, compact it, sell the scrap, buy a new car..

:P

ECU may be tripping something that protects the car from starting back up, cause of a short in the system?

I dunno enough about honda ecu's tho

Si_g · 07-20-2004, 12:26 PM

well the tach jumps even when the car is running, but just for about 1 second, sometimes, i ll throw it in reverse and it would jump without affecting the idle, but the car wont shut off, and i can back up. I was thinkin it was electrical too, but i cant find the link or the reason why it only happens when it goes to reverse! Performance is fine, the car is holdin it down, altho it hasnt dont it hasnt shut off today, the tach jumped once while i was backin it in at school, but other than that, it didnt shut of at all today, well not yet at least. When i came home i played with the reverse again to see if it would do it again, for like 10 mins, and it didnt do it at all. The tach didnt flinch, and its like the symptoms are disapeared.

As far as electical, i have a safc hooked up to the ecu, its been there for a whle now ( not tunned yet ). I got a msd igntion kit, with a blaster 2 coil, which have all been properly functionning. I just replaced the distributor 2 months ago with a oem part from honda, I doubt it could be the spark plugs, i checked em, they are fine, they are 2 years old irridiums. I checked all the engine grounds, so i dont know, i guess i have to go check all wires of the ecu, altho i used wire taps to hook up the sacf, so i didnt really cut anything. But anyway, if anyone can think of anything, let me know.

thx

trident · 07-21-2004, 08:02 PM

Here's my two cents on the issue. It certainly sounds like an electrical problem, so the question to ask, is what is happening when you put it in reverse. The only electrical switch is in the transmission. This switch is in no way related to the ignition. This leads me to believe that you may possibly have a stripped wire that is somehow touching an ignition wire. When the tach jumps, does the engine speed jump with it, or does it just jump on the tach? If it's only on the tach, then this could be a result of a stripped wire making contact with another. I'm not saying this is the answer, but it's certainly worth tracing the wires of the reverse switch to wherever they go. Good luck man.

Si_g · 07-23-2004, 11:49 AM

^^ when the tach jumps, the engine speed doesnt move, just the needle. Ikno its not the EL gauges wiring, cause i soldered all the wires, and since i installed them, theres no way wires can be stripped back there as i carefully made sure that would happen. Same thing when i wired up the safc. I only used wire taps, so i didnt really cut any wires. I thought about tracing through wires, but i dont know where to start. I will try and go on the ECU and make sure everyhing is fine there, but other than that, i dont know where else to look, as i havent really touched any other wires.

trident · 07-25-2004, 12:53 PM

ok, I was just looking through mire wiring book, and I noticed that the PGM-FI main relay is powered by the back up fuse from the under dash fuse box. It is fuse #4. If the relay lost power, it would certainly turn your car off. Again, this involves checking the back up light wires that run from your transmission. Make sure there are no shorts. Also check the back up light fuse. I'm sure the fuse is still good. At least, though, there is an electrical connection between reverse and ignition. Good luck